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This does not mean that the Christian (Byzantine) Empire was a political model of the Kingdom of God or that Constantine, the first ruler to accept Christianity, was a flawless saint. It simply means that the Kingdom of God became manifest in the world to the extent that Jesus' teachings were put into practice or influenced the hearts of those who came to believe in Him. The outward establishment of the Kingdom of God can be seen in the effect the Church had on society: the building of hospitals, the founding of charities and the development of Christian art and culture. The Emperor Constantine was, for example, the first emperor to place a ban on the human slaughter of the gladiatorial combats. It was the efforts of Christians that led to the eventual elimination of this inhuman practice.
(37:4)
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